The one name missing from that list is Hewlett-Packard, which is probably the world's best-known laser printer maker. HP was sued earlier this year on the same grounds - and ended up paying Pitney Bowes $400 million.

HP does of course have a huge laser printer business to protect, as do the other recipients of Pitney Bowes' suit, with the exception of Apple. Canning Apple's printer business is one of CEO Steve Jobs' first moves to turn the company around.

That probably explains why Apple has failed to respond to Pitney Bowes attempts to seek a resolution to the problem by agreeing to licensing its IP - Apple doesn't need to any more.

We're not experts on the US legal system, and would never claim to be, but wouldn't the Statute of Limitations have something to say about this?

Five years seems to be the limit, we recall - and Reg readers suggest. Apple was certainly making printers five years ago, but based on development work done a long time before that. ®